Monday Meanderings 9 - 8 - 2025

As of Sunday we are 250 days into 2025. Wow -- this year is flying.  We've enjoyed the cooler weather but we sure could use some rain.  We got some rain but not enough. Hopefully we'll get more over the next month or so.  I did make some good progress this month.  Here are last week's goals. 

9/1/25

✅Put borders on Soho 3yd quilt from July retreat — done! 

✅Quilt another top — quilted a small baby quilt. 

✅Cut a top for October retreat — started cutting more Economy blocks 

√Clear off right side of design wall — some things have been removed but not all.

✅Begin cutting fabric for Magnificent Mystery Quilt from Meadow Mist Designs — the first two fabrics are done. (Minus one 2.5” square. I’ll do it tomorrow or the next day.)

This is Soho, a Fabric Cafe 3 yard quilt.  I changed it a little as I didn't have a yard of beige.  So I used one fabric for the half square triangles. I bought another fabric for the borders which I did with only one fabric rather than an inner and outer border. I'll probably use some of the beige border fabric for the backing.  

For the next quilt kit I chose to use the September UFO Challenge project.  Several years ago I made an economy block quilt and cut some extra pieces for it. This week I cut the background fabrics for all the pieces I had already cut out.  Then I pulled a bunch of additional fabrics so I could make a bigger quilt. First the finished blocks. (Yep, just 2!) 

Here are the cut pieces and a bunch of fabrics that still need to be cut. I'm using dies from my 9" Accuquilt Cube. Any cube will allow you to make an Economy block using dies # 1, 3, and 4. The triangle die for the light fabric uses a too much fabric so I'm considering figuring out the correct size and cutting them myself.  I'll keep you informed if it works.  

I did make some progress on clearing off the side of my design wall.  I forgot to take a before picture so I found one from awhile ago.  Here are the two ... 

   So, argh -- I wish I had more control of my photos!  Anyway, the left is a while ago and the right is showing I've made some progress. I moved several orphan blocks and some excess papers.  Obviously there is some more work to do. With perseverance I should be able to remove and put all of this stuff away. (Or throw it away.) 

I did get a start on cutting out the Magnificent Mystery quilt. Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs starts her mystery quilt in the summer. She gives cutting directions for the entire quilt early on. If you cut it all at the beginning it makes it easier to make each clue as all that is needed is sewing.  I've enjoyed that part so I do all the cutting at the beginning. I will continue working on the cutting this coming week. 

Here's my plan for this week. 

9/8/25

Load and start quilting Ombré quilt

Make RSC blocks in light blue and light green and more 9 patch blocks

Cut out more Sept UFO challenge- Economy blocks

Continue cutting out the Magnificent Mystery quilt

Bind baby quilt 

I had another 100% sewing week. 

W/ending 9/7/25. 250 days of 2025

• 15 minute days Sept = 7/7
• 15 minute days/2025 = 250/250 days
• Success rate = 100%

I hope you can spend some time checking out some of the Linky parties -- don't you want to get some new ideas? (Ok, so I get way too many ideas every week and have enough of my own ideas but I still get excited about what I see each week.) 

Life in Pieces

Oh Scrap

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musings

I'll leave you with this wonderful picture I took while walking this week. Yep that's hubby with Sunny. I stopped to get the picture. 

We didn't get the rain but we got this huge rainbow.  For a short while there was a double on the left hand side but that picture wasn't very good.  

Happy quilting all -- Bonnie 

National Sewing Machine Day & Some Finishes!

June 13th is National Sewing Machine Day.  I read that we should share our machines.  I have no idea where I saw it but I thought I'd give my machines a little love and attention. 

So here are my machines from oldest to newest. 

This is my trusty Singer Featherweight.  It is from the early 1950s.  It's a slow workhorse that I take to sewing days and retreats.  Unfortunately it doesn't sew fast at all.  Some day I may see if there is something that can be done to speed it up some but in the mean time it is slow, steady and reliable. 

Meet Ruthie the Nolting Long Arm and her computer.  I've had her for 9 or so years when we traded a smaller one in for her. She's quilting away on one of my 3 yard quilt tops. 

I bought this Viking Topaz in the last 8 or 9 years.  I use it mostly for embroidery. I found I perferred my older Bernina for piecing and some quilting. I keep this one set up for embroidery. 

This is my newest sewing machine, a Bernina B 570. I've only had this one for 8 months or so.  It has way more bells and whistles than I need.  It's been fun to learn what it can do for me.  I want to try making quilt labels with the built in alphabets.  Someday I might buy the embroidery module and then sell the Viking. 

I also have a very old Elna Carina which weighs under 20 pounds. It's also good for taking to sew ins and retreats.  I might start taking it along with the Featherweight and see how it does. 

Now on to the two finishes from earlier this year. First up is the framed 9 patch in blue. The FCQ Equilters made the blocks for me a couple of years ago.  I finished the top last year but didn't get it quilted until this year. (I have a couple of smaller tops waiting to be quilted.) This pic was taken this spring -- note the azaleas in bloom. 

And, a close up view. Below that is a picture of the front and back. 

Next up is Traffic Jam, quilt pattern is by Pat Sloan and a free version can be found on her web page here. She also has a pattern for sale which has 3 additional sizes. You can check out a couple of different colorations here as well as finding the link to purchase the pattern. 

I've made a couple tops/quilts using the pattern. One I decided to use 2" squares since I had a ton of them. But I don't remember if this was it or one of the others I've got hanging around.  I used Susie's magic binding on this one.  

I don't remember the exact measurements but both of these quilts are basic lap quilts.  I'lll have to check my pile of finished quilts to see whether these have been donated or not.  

Please take some time visiting the following Linky Parties.  I used to post often on Fridays and these were my go-to blogs. 

Needle and Thread Thursday 

Beauties Pagent

Finished (of Not) Friday 

Off the Wall Friday 

I'm leaving you with a picture of my friend Sharon's really old sewing machine. She doesn't use it but it is fun to see it and the booklet and supplies for it. 

This is a National Rotary sewing machine that was owned by Sharon's grandmother. Sharon has the Certificate of Warranty dated September 9, 1938. Notice the boxes (tied with string!) and the manual by it. Evidently it had a table it could be set into also.  

Do you have any antique sewing machines in your life? 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie

Monday Meanderings -- 5 - 5 - 2025

It's been a busy week!  It was spring concert week for the Spotsylvanians.  Friday was tech rehearsal. Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon were the concerts.  We had good crowds for both events. And we sounded awesome. (We had a lot of positive comments after each of them.) Here's a couple of pictures -- I think they were from Friday night. 

Spotsylvanians before Saturday night concert. 

Bonnie and Pat in the warm up room Saturday night. 

Our concert was held in a local Lutheran church whose pastor also sings with us. We began the concert with "Now Is the Month of Maying", a madrigal written in 1595 by Thomas Morley.  The church has wonderful acoustics and we took advantage of it by singing in a semi-circle around the audience. It was very cool. (I'm the first singer on the right 👆🏼.) 

Over the weekend I got the pictures ready for this blog so when I got home from the last concert I could go right to writing it. Now on to my quilting part starting with last week's goals. 

4/28/25

✅Finish knitting hat — done, need to add a pompom.

✅Bind orange peel quilt — done! 

✅Begin 3 yard quilt project — good start, just need to add borders.

✅Make more 9 patches — several more finished. 

Ok, I admit I am not sure which hat I finished -- I think it was a navy blue and white one.  I also know I started a new yellow hat.  I snapped a photo to share. It's the second hat from a big skein of yellow. 

I also made more 9 patches.  I've made duplicate of some colors for me. If I have all the fabrics out or I'm plowing through my cut 2.5" squares I might as well make some of these for me. These are the ones for the FCQ Equilter. 

And now for this week...

5/5/25

Work on 3 yard quilt project

Layout May’s UFO blocks 

Keep making 9 patches

Keep knitting on yellow hat

Quilt a top 

One thing I finished this week is some little 9 patches made with 1.5" squares. They will be part of Hens and Her Chicks from Quilts from the Heart by Karin Renaud. 

I've used these little 1.5" squares as my leader enders for a while.  I've got 52 9 patches done which is what is called for. Now I need to cut out a bunch of background pieces and bigger bright colored squares. 

Recently I spent one evening cutting some scraps into usable size squares. Here's what I got done.  Sharon calls this doing the dishes -- I think Bonnie Hunter started calling it that years ago. From the red on upper left: 2.5" square, 2" sq, 1.5" sq and 3" sq. I have a ridiculous amount of scraps that could be cut up for easier use. 

I am happy to say I succeeded getting my 15 minutes of stitching done every day.  In fact, I spent 30 minutes this morning knitting before I went to the concert. 

15 Minutes of Stitching week ending 5/4/25. 124 days of 2025

• 15 minute days/Apr = 3/3
• 15 minute days/May = 4/31
• 15 minute days/2024 = 124/124 days
• Success rate = 100%

I'm linking up with the following parties:

Stitching Stuff

Oh Scrap

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musing

I leave you with this picture of Sunny enjoying the sun in her newly fenced back yard.  

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Monday Meanderings 3 - 31 - 2025

Welcome Spring!  We've had a high of 80º one day this weekend and it's predicted for Monday als0.  Wow -- many degrees above normal. Hopefully, we are done with freezing nights! Despite the gorgeous weather I did spend quite a bit of time in the studio.  Here's my goals list from last week.

3/24/25

✔️Make 2 RSC yellow blocks — started not finished. 

✅Quilt one of my quilts  -- done and bound! 

✅Mail blocks to FCQ Equilter -- done! 

Cut out a new quilt — nothing done! 

I have 2 yellow blocks cut out with this one started on the sewing. That will be on the next goals list and maybe the April color too. 

Here's the quilt I decided to quilt next. I had a blue backing that was also used for the binding. 

This is the first of 3 framed 9 patches I've made from the group of blocks I received from the FCQ Equilters. It did get quilted and bound this week.  I'll share the finish at a later time.  This was the biggest of the three quilts...but still only a lap quilt. 

What I find ridiculous is I didn't remember to put binding last week's quilt on my goals list this week. So, yep, I did that one too. 

Sharon and I consult with each other when we aren't decisive about a project.  I wasn't sure about which fabric to use for the binding. I really wanted to use the purple -- I have tons of it.  But it really didn't look very good.  I liked this navy blue which Sharon agreed with but then suggested I use the navy piece as a flange look. I decided to Susie's Magic Binding  It took a bit longer but it does look good on the quilt. I used directions I found on  Aunt Marti's web site. I prefer reading directions rather than watching directions but I notice there is a link to a video in the first paragraph if you'd rather watch how this is done. 

Here are this week's goals. 

3/31/25

Start on April UFO 

Cut out a new quilt

Quilt a top 

Order more backing fabrics

Start another knit hat 

So, start on a new quilt . . . I need some help!  Here's the group of fabrics I want to use.  I think I might throw in another fabric - white, beige, grey?  

But I'm looking for ideas of what to make. The pink, purple, and green is a yard, the green is about 1/2 yard.  The lighter pink is leftover backing. Maybe a half yard or a bit over.  Any suggestions? I think the pink, purple, and green needs to be bigger pieces. I imagine I could get a wheelchair quilt from the fabrics I have or perhaps a child's quilt. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. And, maybe I should look at the blocks on board I have for my Accu Quilt die cutter.  

Here's a quilt I finished several months ago. In fact, when I was trying to figure out how much fabric was in it I realized I had already given it to the guild's charity group.  Luckily I had taken some pictures of it before I gave it away. 

This is 54.5 x 70.5". The quilting design is Quick and Easy Stars Edge 2 Edge by My Creative stitches .  The pattern is a variation of Wayne's Quilt in Smash Your Precut Stash. the book had 12" blocks but I made mine 8" blocks.  

Here's the stats for my sewing time this week. 

W/ending 3/23/25. 89 days of 2025

• 15 minute days/Mar = 30/30
• 15 minute days/2024 = 89/89 days
• Success rate = 100%

Yep another week of sewing every day. 

I'm linking with the following Linky parties: 

Stitching Stuff

Oh Scrap

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musing

Here are some pictures from spring in our area.  This is our cherry tree in the front yard in full bloom.  You can read about the stages of cherry blossom blooms at this web site. It looks like there are some buds still on this branch. It looks like Peduncle Elongation to me.  The news reports go into all the stages so you learn a lot about cherry blossoms watching the nightly news. I wish our trees were a little more pink but they sure say spring to me. 

We've got one more day of warm weather (maybe 80º) but rain is coming in. Hopefully we won't lose all the petals from the rain and possible wind. Soon it will look like snow on the ground from all of the petals that are blown off the tree. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie  

Monday Meanderings 3 -- 24 -- 2025

Spring has come!  The cherry blossoms are getting ready to bloom in Washington, DC and our front yard.  It will be beautiful once the blooms come. Tonight I noticed there were some blooms and surprisingly some were already on the ground. Must have been the wind.  Although it has been a nice week weather-wise I spent a lot of time in my studio.  It's been a good week getting my goals done. Here's my list from last week. 

3/17/25

✅Quilt another of my quilts — quilting done, binding to come.

✅Start sewing March UFO blocks together — the half log cabin blocks are now a top! 

✅Bind baby quilt — done! 

Make a couple of placemats — didn’t get to this one. 

✅Finish sewing the lining in the needlepoint scissors case — finished this cute little case. 

Here's last week's quilt.  It hasn't been trimmed or bound -- that's for this coming week's goals.  This is Pat Sloan's pattern, Traffic Jam.  I changed it to use 2" squares since I had a bunch of them to use up. 

The quilting design is Saffron Blossom by Apricot Moon. One of the things I added to this quilt is a lot of little squares that have surprises in them: an elephant, a fish, a mouse. Any little animal I had in my collection of 2" squares I threw in. Whoever receives this quilt will find a lot of cuteness among the squares. 

On Sunday afternoon I finished my March UFO top. It is my half log cabin. Here's the quilted top. I haven't even trimmed it yet. It's on the goals list for this week. 

I've finally finished a cute needlepoint scissors case. This was a freebie project from a cruise many years ago.  The project came completely finished except the needlepoint design. I've been working on it for at least 5 years. I finished the needlepoint last year. I knew I would need to line it to protect my scissors from the stiff needlepoint canvas.  Here's what the out side looks like. 

The design is stitched with floss rather than tapestry wool.  I'm happy to have this one finished. I knew the needlepoint canvas would be rough on my scissors so I lined it with some velvet like fabric.  We took another cruise on the same line with stitching sessions on sea days so I got a new project. It's suppose to be a glasses case but I've dismantled it so I can use it on a tote bag I'll make for it when it's finished. And here's the inside of the scissors case. 

Now on to this week's goals.  It took me a while to come up with this list.  I decided not to make it too long this week. 

3/24/25

Make 2 RSC yellow blocks

Quilt and bind one of my quilts 

Mail blocks to FCQ Equilter 

Cut out a new quilt

If I make it through this list I have another top for the quilt guild.  Or perhaps I'll quilt another of my tops. I have 28 tops waiting to be quilted.  Did you notice the purple backing on my quilt up there? ⬆️ There's a big piece left over. I've used almost 5 yards of the original 15 but I'm going to have a lot of scraps and pieces leftover. 

Another great week stitching every day. Here are the stats:

W/ending 3/23/25. 82 days of 2025

• 15 minute days/Mar = 7/7
• 15 minute days/2024 = 82/82 days
• Success rate = 100%

Here are two more quilts from the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show. First up is On Eagles Wings by Beth Filko. Notice the use of string blocks.  

I took this picture for a friend who enjoys doing wool work.  I really liked it although I probably would never do anything like it. 

On Saturday we volunteered at the local food bank to pack student food boxes. They are given to school kids to augment their family's food. We signed up for 2 hours but we were done in about an hour and a half.  We and a group of students from Mary Washington Univ. packed enough boxes to fill 6 Gaylords. From what I found on line Gaylords can be 40 x 40 x 40" or bigger and generally are on a pallet so they can be transported by forklifts. After they were filled they are shrink wrapped to keep everything controlled. The staff was very happy we finished the packing early and had been cleaning up as we went along so there was no mess to clean up at the end. Pat already volunteers two times a month on weekdays.  We might continue to volunteer on a Saturday each month if we can. Evidently weekend time slots fill up fast. 

Hum, there are several Gaylords behind me. Me keeping boxes on the line.

I'm linking up with the following Linky parties: 

Stitching Stuff

Oh Scrap! 

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musings 

That's it for me today. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie